Just My Imagination
by turn-off-my-heart
Summary: The world's going to hell and so are they. But she's not going down without a fight. -Tifacentric, with AerithTifa friendship on the side- M for naughty language, and graphic violence.


Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I claim profit from them.

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_Just My Imagination_

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They're all going to die. The world is falling apart, threads unraveling, and they're doing all they can to protect it. Which, in reality, isn't a whole hell of a lot at this moment. Aerith is casting her magic and causing _them_ to explode into clouds of pitch black smoke, Vincent and Barret have pumped enough lead to fill the belly of a whale. Yuffie darts around the field of death and gore, laughing as she guts_ them_ like pigs because that's the only way she can keep that innocence (and sanity) they cherish; _laugh it off, it's just a game after all. You're still a kid, you're not fighting for your life._

Cid and Cloud have been hacking and slashing for ages; Red roars and growls and snarls as he tears _them_ to bits; Squall is off somewhere, looking for survivors.

Tifa's up-close-and-personal with one of the fat ones, tearing into the unprotected flesh of its back, her fists and face coated in what could be blood; she wonders if the human hearts inside its gullet can feel the pain, and apologizes in her head. Then she whirls around, her foot arcing in a fierce roundhouse kick that caves in the skull of one of those little ant-like things.

_Sorry._

"Cid!" Squall voice roars over the sounds of battle. "We need you in the Gummi Ship!"

"On it!" Cid calls back; Cloud takes a mighty swing and cleaves the way for Cid; Aerith follows up with tongues of fire that consume and destroy and leaves the ground scorch-marked, yet bare. He runs to the Gummi Ship.

Someone makes a mistake; there's the sickening sound of claws tearing through bone, the squelching noises of spilled blood and ruptured organs.

An ant-thing has its claws buried deep in Vincent's chest; behind him, Yuffie is screaming. Tifa surges forward and tackles the shadow creature to the ground, and watches in horror as it takes Vincent's heart and devours it.

_No, no, no!_ The voice in her head is screaming and Tifa doesn't know if its Yuffie's voice or maybe her own. _Not Vincent, not Vincent, no!_ And then her fists are flying, her fingers digging into its jaws and ripping them open; _give it back you **fucking piece of shit**, give it back, give him back!_

_Black smoke fills her eyes._

It's gone; the creature, Vincent's heart, and pretty soon, Vincent will be too.

She whirls around and see Yuffie, poor, broken little Yuffie, clutching Vincent's head to her chest and bawling, sobbing, rocking back and forth. Black tendrils are already spreading from the gaping, bloody hole in Vincent's chest, and his eyes are going from red to yellow. His nostrils quiver; he can probably feel Yuffie's heart pounding against the back of his head. The ninja waits until she's positive that Vincent's not there anymore-that he's become one of _them_; then she grabs her shuriken and jams it through his skull, twisting until he shrieks in an inhuman way and disappears in smoke.

She has nothing left, except her memories and his human blood staining her clothes. She starts wailing again, screaming and screaming like the child she really is. Tifa runs at Yuffie again, pulls her away by the back of her sweater, and hauls her over her shoulder, fireman-style. She runs at Aerith-_because Tifa can't be the sweet, kind, forgiving person right now, she's got to be the killer_-and shoves Yuffie at her. Aerith responds automatically, wrapping an arm around Yuffie, pulling her close and shielding them all with a protection spell to boost their pitiful chances of survival.

"I'll take care of her," Aerith promises and Tifa just nods; speaking would mean breaking the mold of the trained killer she's become. She'll think of the faces of people that became _them_. She'll hesitate. She won't kill. That would mean ending up like Vincent, and she just doesn't want to put Yuffie through that again. So she turns and runs starts killing all over again, telling herself that its for the good of the world, for the universe; later she'll think that _killing is killing no matter_ _what_ and then she'll feel guilty.

Then it all starts going to hell; well, further into hell, so to speak.

Cloud sees Sephiroth. The chain reactions occur in this order; Cloud abandons his position at Barret's back, charging at the silver haired devil, and soon Barret's heart is ripped out of his chest and he morphs and now he's one of _them_. Red falls too; flame colored fur mats down with blood as _they_ tear into his chest cavity and eat his heart, like _they've_ done to Vincent and Barret. Yuffie is screaming again, Cloud is gone after Sephiroth again; and Tifa is left alone and thinks, _you **fucking idiot**._

And soon the Monster-That-Was-Barret is turning on her, eyes blazing that horrible yellow and shooting; bullets tears into the skin of her arms. The Monster-That-Was-Red goes after her next, and soon she's pinned down and claws are ripping and tearing at her skin and clothes, trying to get to her heart.

"Tifa, _no, no, Tifa_!" Aerith shrieks, and Yuffie roars like a deranged animal, picks up her shuriken, and starts hacking away, leaping into the battle; _no more innocent games, no more laughing._

_Am I going to die?_ Tifa thinks, and black claws nick her chest; but then who would keep Yuffie safe, who would keep Aerith safe if she couldn't?

_Well fuck that._

Tifa throws _them_ all off, punching, kicking, biting when appropriate; the gloves are off now, and she's unleashing the fury of a woman with no hope left, with nothing to lose; the Monsters-That-Were-Once-Friends are dead when Tifa slams her fists through their skulls. She chokes on the black smoke and just throws punches and kicks that connect, because there's so many of the little bastards that a hit is guaranteed.

Aerith suddenly shouts out a loud, piercing wail that shatters the hell-night sky; "Cloud!"

Tifa looks up and she can see a black portal where a tail of silver hair vanishes; Sephiroth.

Cloud follows blindly, and the portal closes.

They're gone.

Tifa's the sole protector now; she has to keep everyone safe, has to keep Yuffie and Aerith and Cid and Squall; and damn Cloud for being the fucking _lunatic_ he was for mindlessly going after his Darkness like that. Still she sprints, hooking Yuffie beneath one arm-Yuffie, who squawks and yowls and begs for revenge because _"They took'em, they took my Vinnie!"-_and hauls Aerith in her crowded arms-Aerith who curls into her arms and sobs into her shoulder for everything lost. She shoves them both in the Gummi Ship.

"Get the fuck out of here," she says, finally, "get to somewhere, anywhere safe!"

Tifa pushes the door, sets it to lock; Aerith's face appears in the door's window, and it's pale; her mouth moves and she's probably begging for Tifa _not to do this, to get in the damn ship._

"Be strong," Tifa says, and then hates herself for saying it.

The engines turn; the Gummi Ship is lifting into the air, leaving the doomed planet for the safety of another.

Aerith is still screaming.

Tifa cranes her neck and follows them with her eyes, heaving for air. She's going to die, she figures, but damned if she isn't going to go down fighting. She whirls around, and with knuckles that are torn and bleeding, muscles crying out in protest she becomes a demon of her own. In the days, the years, the eternities that follow, all she does is fight until, oddly enough, they don't come near her as often. They shrink away from her, sometimes; maybe they've finally learned.

Maybe.

Tifa slumps against a rock; the scratches on her body are burning, and a quick look shows that there could be an infection setting in. Oh well. At least she can rest for a while. She nearly closes her eyes.

In front of her, she sees a portal; the one that swallowed Cloud, the one that started it all. Tifa stands; Aerith's anguished scream keeps replaying in her head. _They_ crawl and mob the opening, slipping into the portal.

Tifa stares. She can almost see a spike of sunshine gold and writhing silver; she can _almost_ see them, in a dance of death. Then, she takes a deep breath for courage; she runs in after _them_, into the portal. It's like a corrider, a hallway, full of dancing shadows and horrible yellow eyes.

Her skin feels like its melting off; a horrible image. The shadows are all writhing and wondering how she got in, and she wonders why they haven't attacked her yet.

Tifa doesn't know how long she's been in the corrider; only that she's been in it, seen the hearts devoured by the dark and wondering why she hasn't lost hers yet. A new corrider opens before her; blazing white, sparkling clean. The shadows don't come near the entrance, but Tifa proudly steps through it and breathes a sigh of relief because the air is warm there, not cold.

When she steps out of the corrider and onto the cobblestone streets of a lonely town, it feels oddly enough like home. The air tingles with hope for a future; stars twinkle in an endless, midnight sky. Her eyes burn from the neon lights but Tifa doesn't feel mind; she's out of the darkness. She walks up the stairs, reads the sign.

_Traverse Town._

Odd name. She walks into the abandoned Accesory Shop, and her chest aches in response to the sudden pang of loneliness. Tifa looks down at the rags of her clothing; a stained white tank-top, a pair of leather shorts that have seen better days. Her skin is free of wounds, though, and Tifa notices it practically shines now, which is odd. She leaves the shop, finding a home with a wizened old man within. She knocks on the door; but her fist doesn't make a noise, oddly enough. She stares, and her throat goes dry. Suddenly, a little boy opens the door; he is made of wood, a puppet with life, she realizes with awe.

"Hullo ma'am," the puppet boy greets her polietly, "gosh you sure are pretty! You're all glowin'!"

"Pinnocchio," an old man says, "who on Earth are you talking to?"

"There's an angel at the door," Pinocchio says, excited, "a pretty, glowing angel!"

"Oh really," the old man chuckles, "well let her in, son, we could use the company."

"Okay Angel," Pinpcchio says to her, "come in!"

Tifa stares down at the boy, then at the old man; she steps in, and Pinocchio closes the door behind her. He begins to ask her question about a Blue Fairy-"Are you two sisters? Cause you're both really pretty and sparkly so-"-but she ignores him and stands in front of the man. She waits for him to notcice her; he doesn't.

"Sir? Hello? Can you see me?," she asks, her voice cracking and breaking from disuse, but he doesn't hear and he doesn't look.

"Angel?" asks Pinocchio timidly, "can...can you make me a real boy?"

Tifa doesn't answer, and Pinocchio doesn't ask again; _because they're not sure if Tifa's a real girl..._

..

The next time Tifa walks down the white hall, her silence is taken up again. She'll search for Cloud, again, because she can't wait to knock some sense into his thick skull. And, perhaps, where there's Cloud, maybe there's Cid and Yuffie; Squall and Aerith. Maybe.

However, her silence broken when she, literally, walks straight into Hell.

"Well, hubba _hubba_," cackles the Devil, his head of blue flames roaring at the sight of her, "lookie what we got here! Mm, well, you're a tasty dish, aren't ya babe?"

Tifa curls her lip in dusgust.

"But what's a pretty angel like you doin' here," says the Devil, his blue-gray skin and black robes clashing horribly. "unless Hera got jealous and decided to kick you out? Ha! With a body like that, I can't blame Zeus. Sadly, the Underworld's no place for the likes of you." He snaps his fingers.

A giant, three headed dog storms in, each jaw full of teeth the size of her arm and drooling obscenely.

"I call him Fluffy," the Devil snerks. "Cloud certainly didn't like him."

Cloud was here. And that alone makes Tifa turn, and show the Devil that she's faced bigger, better things than a giant, three headed dog named _Fluffy._

"_Where is he_?" Tifa finally snarls, kicking the unconscious body of the dog. "_Where is Cloud_?"

"Long gone," the Devil says, "back to the realm of the living, sugar-plum."

"You won't have to worry about him," another voice, heavenly and feminine, speaks out, "not where you will be going, daughter."

Tifa turns, thinking; _oh what now?_

"Hera, baby-cakes! How's my favorite sister-in-law?" greets the Devil. "And Athena too; what's the honor?"

"Quiet, Hades," sighs Hera, waving her hand at Tifa, "I am merely here for the soul you have stolen."

"Stolen? I'll have you know Little Miss Ass-Whooper came down to my place of her own accord," Hades barks, offended.

"I believe he is right," Athena says, "after all, the soul walked down the path; she crossed the Hall of Darkness; who's to say she isn't in the right place, Hera?"

"Because she is light," Hera answers. "It is as simple as that."

Simple? It doesn't sound simple to Tifa.

"Well now, that's an interesting development," Hades says. He turns to Tifa. "You say you're lookin' for Cloudie-boy, right? Must mean he's somethin special to you; you must be his Light, am I right?"

Tifa merely shrugs. She just wants to know where Cloud is, dammit; she wants to know why everyone keeps calling her a soul, and why that old man didn't know she existed.

"Then that means she is needed," Athena says, "and neither you, nor Hera can take her."

"Pity," sighs Hades, " the Underworld coulda used some feminine touches."

"She won't make a good impression in those rags," Hera tsks, "she should freshen up, at least."

"Why?" Hades laughs, cruelly, "She's _dead_! No one's gonna see her!"

"Hey," Tifa speaks up, "I can still see me, and I look like shit right now, so I'm gonna go clean up."

Tifa's new outfit is all black leather; Hera dissaproves, Hades makes an inappropriate sound of approval, and Athena merely says, "It is adequate for a warrior. Nicely done."

"And if Cloudie-boy can't keep ya company," Hades calls out as Tifa starts to climb up the stairs to the realm of the living, "look me up, sugar-plum!"

..

Tifa travels around in the dark halls, and the occasional white ones; rumors of Cloud are few and far between. She's accepted that she's no longer alive; no one in the "real world" can see her, no one notices her. Spirits, the occasional shadow-creature, maybe a demon or two can see her; but no one human.

And then, one day, Tifa is back home. She walks out of a black portal, and sees Radiant Garden, in the throes of repair; _it's back, it's back!_ She loses her breath, she falls to the ground; the people walking around her don't notice. They don't see the lone protector who gave her life to save them, they don't see the lonely soul kneeling there, sobbing.

But the day is brighter; they notice that.

Soon, Tifa stands, wiping her eyes. She has a mission; if Cloud is still alive, she has to find him. Why? She's actually forgotten; but it seems like the right thing to do, if she's his Light, or whatever Hades had said. She walks down the familiar and unfamiliar streets, noting that everytime a shadow creature pops up, a ball of light finds it and blasts the little bastard. Tifa smiles at this.

_"Tifa?"_

At first, the name is unfamiliar; it's been too long since Tifa has heard her own name. Then, she turns and sees a woman standing there, in a pretty, silly pink dress that leaves her shoulders bare. Her hair, a lighter honey brown then the last time they had met. Still, her eyes are a lovely and familiar shade of green.

"Aerith?"

Aerith drops the basket of flowers. Then, she lunges at Tifa, wraps her arms around the raven haired girl's neck, and cires out loudly.

"Tifa," she says, "Oh Tifa, Tifa, I can't believe you're alive!"

There is silence. Tifa's lips pulled back in a tight, pale line when Aerith notices the lack of a heartbeat in Tifa's chest.

"But," Aerith pulls away, her hands still so warm on Tifa's shoulders, "...you aren't, are you?"

"I guess not," Tifa admits, and her arms are wrapping around Aerith's waist, pulling them close. She rests her forhead against Aerith's, smiling sadly. "But you are; how's Yuffie? And Cid, and Squall and-"

Aerith's fingers are warm when they touch Tifa's lips, and her voice her soft when she whispers, "Shh."

Tifa doesn't say anything, and they simply hold each other for a little while longer. Then, Tifa says, "I've got to find Cloud. I've got to, you understand?"

"Yes," Aerith says, and they pull apart. She looks achingly hopeful when she asks, "You'll come back, won't you?"

"Of course; pinky swear.," Tifa promises, and links her pinky with Aerith's. "Besides, I'm home. Why would I leave again?"

"Because you've got a better job to do," Aerith says.

Tifa turns, unlinking their fingers. She waves and says, "Be back soon, 'Re."

..

Sora is a nice kid; a little dimwitted, but very nice. He's got an inner light that can hurt the eyes, but it's balanced out by his own inner darkness. That makes him pretty okay, in her book.

So when _they_ come back, it's no surprise that Sora's already on the front lines, charging with his sword held high and ready to give his life to protect the planet.

"Hey there, Sora," she greets him, crushing the head of an ant-thing-Heartless- in the palm of her hand. "Want some help?"

"I would love some!" he grunts, already hacking away. Tifa grins, perhaps maniacally, and charges, smashing through the crested armor of a green Heartless and feeling her fist hit flesh; it shrieks loudly before dissolving into smoke. From then on, Sora does little of the work; Tifa is relentless and bloodthirsty, out for revenge again. She has a feeling Yuffie does the same thing, remembering the way Vincent slumped dead in her arms and the way Barret roared out his agonized scream of death; Tifa can still feel the bullets in her body, if she thinks hard enough.

_Why won't you all just leave us the fuck alone!?_ she screams in her head,_ Haven't you take enough from us!?_

"Wow," Sora whispers in awe and, maybe, fear.

..

Then Tifa finds Cloud; and Sephiroth is there too, no surprise. Their battle is short and fierce; Light against Darkness, with Cloud's shattered psyche up for grabs. Soon, Cloud leaves with Sephiroth again, and Tifa feels the stab of bitterness in her heart, which stopped beating a long, long time ago.

"Tifa," Sora says, hesitantly, "what are you going to do now?"

"Well," Tifa shrugs, "guess I'm going after him."

"Why?" Goofy asks.

Tifa pauses. "I really don't know. But it's what right, isn't it?"

"Well," Donald says in that odd lisp of his, "if I were you, I'd say forget it!"

"Nah," Tifa says, calmly. "That'd be a downright selfish thing of me to do to him. And he's had enough of that."

"Enough of what?"

"People giving up on him."

"He gave up on you," Donald points out; then he covers his bill in alarm, horrified.

"Maybe," Tifa says, "but two wrongs don't make a right." She turns to leave. "Hey Sora; keep on looking for that friend of yours, okay? Don't give up on him. Or he'll end up like..."

"Cloud?" Sora shudders.

_I was gonna say me_, Tifa thinks to herself, _but yeah, whatever makes you happy kiddo._

In the end, Aerith was right; Tifa doesn't stay. But she does go back, just for a bit. Yuffie's older, wiser; yet still as chipper as ever. Squall-Leon-is still that brooding ass he'd always been. Cid's more mature; he doesn't swear as much. Aerith hasn't changed much, really, but they share a look and goodbyes are said and Aerith hides the tears in her eyes; her acting is better, Tifa notices.

As she passes a rock, Tifa is suddenly struck with an image; an image of a bloodied, broken girl, slumped against the same rock. Her clothing is tattered and ragged; her knuckles are torn and bloodied beyond repair. On her battle worn face is a sad, sweet smile. Her chest doesn't move; her heart doesn't beat. The vision fades.

"Huh," Tifa grunts as she realizes that she's looking at her grave. Then a portal opens; she steps through a white corrider. Maybe she'll head on down to the Underworld and pay Hades a visit, smack Fluffy around for a bit. Maybe she'll go back to finding Cloud. Maybe she'll take up Hera's offer.

..

"Papa," Pinocchio says one night as they see a shooting star, "i-is a world falling?"

"Oh no, my boy," Gepetto says kindly, wrapping Pinocchio in a hug, "but I think that angel friend of yours has gone home to Heaven."

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"I hope so Papa."

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_fin_

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A/N-Done after reading a few fics on the whole "Tifa is a ghost" theory. Sorry for the lack of girl/girl luff, but TifaAerith is one of those kinds of pairings that look oretty damn awesome as friendships.

And I hate Cloud.

Muchly.


End file.
